1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to special purpose furniture that can be adjusted to accommodate differently situated users.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
Wall mounted workstations that can be opened for use and subsequently folded back up when not in use have commonly been employed for providing a retractable visual presentation area and work surface. Such workstations sometimes contain a computer monitor in the visual presentation area and a keyboard on the work surface. When not in use, the workstation is retracted by being folded together to assume a compact, closed cabinet-like container against the wall upon which it is mounted. These workstations are particularly useful in medical facilities where doctors and technicians can conveniently access a computer workstation associated with a laboratory, a patient's room or other special area within the medical facility. Once the short-term task has been accomplished, the workstation can be folded up to return to its compact storage position.
A retractable workstation of the described type would be particularly desirable between two adjacent beds in a semi-private hospital room. However, conventional wall mounted workstations cannot be conveniently mounted on the wall between such beds because of the usual presence on the wall of equipment used to administer oxygen and monitor the patients' vital signs.
Counterbalanced, adjustable arms are often employed to position lights, materials, instruments, monitoring equipment or display equipment or other devices (herein referred to inclusively as “presentation material”) at a desired angle and/or height. Such adjustable arms have typically been mounted on a wall or on a movable pedestal that contains equipment or materials associated with the presentation materials mounted at the end of the arm. Equipment and materials of this latter type are usually arranged such that the control or data signals associated with the presentation materials are manually entered from a workstation that is a stationary part of the pedestal.
Many of the counterbalanced adjustable arm systems are designed for use by a single person who does not require that the display or monitoring function of the presentation material be visually evident while the control or data entry function is being performed. The use of such conventional equipment by a single user who must visualize a display while simultaneously entering data or controls reflected in the display can be difficult. The problem can be exacerbated when the same unit of equipment is to be used by different individuals, in different environments and with different physical requirements.